


Cafe Noir

by vivvav



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hifumi/Ryuji in this but not the story's focus, The AFR Universe, The other Phantom Thieves show up in text messages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 15:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11671707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivvav/pseuds/vivvav
Summary: After years of work, Haru is finally ready to open up her own cafe. But with how busy the lives of all her friends have become, the only person available to help her move her equipment in is Ryuji, and he's feeling unnaturally glum.





	Cafe Noir

**Author's Note:**

> This work is in canon with most of my other works. So if you've never read any of my stuff and are wondering just why the hell Ryuji and Hifumi of all people are a pair, I suggest checking out "Confidant Roulette" and "Boys and Queens". Still, this is by no means a prerequisite to enjoy this story.

Five years, and it was still going. That mobile chat room with that little icon of the top hat with the flaming eye. The former Phantom Thieves didn’t use the room as frequently as they used to, often checking up on each other individually, but they still tried to arrange big get-togethers sometimes. Of course, it was very rare that they all had time to be in the same room together.

That was just the nature of growing up. Haru had finished college and was now getting ready to finally open her cafe. Makoto had also finished college and was now in the Metropolitan Police Academy. Ren was still in his final year of college, but he was spending a lot of time working for Governor Yoshida. Yusuke had finished school early and was spending a year in Okinawa, trying to capture the beauty of the sea. Ann was similarly gone, spending her final year in college abroad in London, where her modeling career was really starting to take off. Ryuji had actually dropped out of school two years ago, and was now working different odd jobs every day to help out his mother. And Futaba was still in her second year of college, but she was already being scouted by a bunch of different software companies. The only Phantom Thief who had unlimited free time was Morgana, so he made sure to get around the city and visit his friends as much as possible, but even he couldn’t just up and leave Tokyo on his own.

So of course, when Haru had finally found a space for her cafe and was ready to start setting up the store, she wasn’t surprised by the responses in the chatroom when she asked if anybody would like to help her get the shop in order before the grand opening.

 

> Makoto: My apologies, Haru, but I must remain focused on my training. I’m still only in the first half of my six-month program.
> 
> Makoto: Taking a personal day for anything but an emergency may jeopardize my chances of becoming an official police officer.
> 
> Haru: I understand completely, Mako-Chan. Good luck!
> 
> Ren: Ah, Saturday? Sorry, Haru. 
> 
> Ren: Any other day I would, but Old Man Tora has a lunch meeting with the Prime Minister that day and asked me to come along.
> 
> Ren: I can’t afford to miss this opportunity. Morgana’s insisting on sneaking in too.
> 
> Haru: Of course! Congratulations, Ren-Kun! I’m very happy for you!
> 
> Futaba: Got the flu from some mouth-breather in class. Need time to recharge. ( ; ω ; )
> 
> Haru: My goodness! Feel better, Futaba-Chan!
> 
> Ann: Wish I could! But you know… London…
> 
> Haru: I hope you’re having fun over there, Ann-Chan! I’m looking forward to your return!
> 
> Yusuke: Regretfully, I am similarly unable to attend due to distance. But I will be there in spirit.
> 
> Haru: I’m certain you will be, Yusuke-Kun!
> 
> Ryuji: I can make it.
> 
> Haru: You can!? I thought you had work, Ryuji-Kun!
> 
> Ryuji: The barbecue place I work at on the weekends got shut down by the health inspector.
> 
> Ann: Whoa! What did you do, Ryuji!?
> 
> Ryuji: I didn’t do nothin’! It was the chef’s fault! I was just a waiter there!
> 
> Haru: I’m sorry to hear that you’ve lost a source of income, Ryuji-Kun. I’d be more than happy to pay you for your assistance if you need it.
> 
> Ryuji: Uh-uh. I’m just helpin’ out a friend.
> 
> Haru: Are you certain?
> 
> Ryuji: I still got my Monday-Thursday job. I’ll be fine.

* * *

Haru parked her borrowed Okumura Foods truck in an alley next to her new shop. She had chosen a nice little establishment in Book Town. The sun was just rising, so the street was still quiet. Haru wanted to get an early start so she wouldn’t disrupt pedestrians with her moving equipment into the shop and vice-versa. She was prepared to sweat a lot, so she was wearing a pink tracksuit. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her keys, opening the door to the space that was soon to be 'Cafe Noir'.

Upon stepping inside, Haru lifted the shades covering the windows. She made a mental note to have them removed later. Why anybody would want to stop the orange sunlight from coming through the glass storefront and filling the room with its beauteous glow was a mystery to her. Haru sat at one of the stools at the counter and took a moment to really appreciate the space. The store’s layout was not dissimilar to LeBlanc’s, but it was bigger. The kitchen was larger, for starters, and was actually a separate room from the rest of the cafe instead of being a tiny alcove. Haru wanted to serve food other than curry, much of which was made with her own homegrown vegetables, so she needed a proper prep space. There were more booths than in LeBlanc, and a large back area with a bunch of free-standing tables. All the tables — booths included, were to have lavender table cloths with floral patterns on them, and the chairs (currently sitting in Haru’s truck) would be of French design. Even though it wasn’t all set up yet, Haru looked out at the space and found herself overcome with joy. She had been in here before, of course, but it was always with a real estate agent. Today, now that the space was hers, it felt magical. She couldn’t wait for Ryuji to see it.

Really, Haru just couldn’t wait to see Ryuji himself. One would think that having given up on education and having no serious career goals, Ryuji would have plenty of free time, but the truth was the exact opposite. Ryuji was constantly working long shifts with little pay just to help his mother with the increased cost of their apartment’s rent. Haru hadn’t actually seen him since Ann and Yusuke’s joint going-away party, and she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d seen him before that. She had managed to meet with Ren, Makoto, Futaba, and Morgana at least a few times each since then, but Ryuji was always busy with work. It must have been half a year since she’d actually seen Ryuji.

The bell over the door rang.

“Hey, I’m here.”

Haru turned around and gasped in surprise. It was certainly Ryuji, but not quite as she remembered him. He was huge. Looking back, Haru supposed he had grown quite a bit over the past few years. It occurred to her during that party that he might have even been taller than Yusuke now, though she never saw them standing directly next to each other so she wasn’t sure at the time. But now he was very tall indeed. And muscular too. Ryuji had really bulked up. It seemed that his many jobs kept him very active, and his arms had become rather thick. He was wearing a sleeveless plain black tee and brown cargo shorts, which also showed off his defined leg muscles. Combined with his blonde hair, Haru imagined that anybody seeing him from behind would confuse him with an American. She ran over to him and gave him a hug.

“Ryuji-Kun! It’s been too long!”

“Uh… Hey, Haru.” Ryuji wrapped one arm round Haru awkwardly and patted her on the back a few times. “You seem like your usual happy self.”

“Of course I am!” Haru stopped hugging Ryuji and took a step back. “I’m finally achieving my dream! Within a week, this cafe will be open for business! I simply cannot wait to-“ Haru noticed a black spot above Ryuji’s chin. She quit speaking, mesmerized by it.

“Haru? You ok?” Ryuji waved his hand in front of her face. She blinked and shook her head.

“Oh, yes. My apologies, Ryuji-Kun. I got distracted by something on your face. Let me just…” Haru pinched the edge of her sleeve and started rubbing it against Ryuji’s face.

“Cut it out!” Ryuji pushed Haru’s arm away from his face. “That ain’t dirt! It’s my soul patch!”

“Hm?” Haru learned forward, eyeing the black spot closely. Indeed, it was a strip of hair. “That’s right! I’m so used to your blonde hair, I forgot that it isn’t natural like Ann-Chan’s!” Haru looked up at Ryuji’s hair and noticed some black was showing through under the dye at the roots. “Although right now it’s quite visible. Are you returning to your original hair color, Ryuji-Kun?”

“I dunno” Ryuji said. He rubbed his head. “It wasn’t really a choice. I’m just so busy with work these days that I don’t usually have time to apply new dye. But I figure, like, I can’t rock the delinquent look forever, y’know? I’m not even a teen anymore.” Ryuji pointed to his soul patch. “See? Totally manly.”

“Well, if you do decide to return to your natural hair color, just make sure to warn us all in advance.” Haru giggled. “We may not recognize you otherwise.”

“Whatever.” Ryuji sneered, but Haru noticed a very small smile forming. Ryuji was terrible at hiding such things. “So, what are we doin’ today?”

“I have a truck full of equipment and other items that need to be brought into the store.” Haru moved past Ryuji and held open the door. “Come, let’s get started.”

Ryuji looked around the street as he followed Haru out to her truck. The street was full of shops, but just about every one except for Haru’s was a bookstore.

“So, why’d you pick Book Town for your cafe?” Ryuji asked.

“It’s funny you should ask that” Haru replied. “The board members of Okumura Foods applauded my keen business sense when I picked this location. They noted how it’s a fairly popular commercial area with a lot of foot traffic that customers of all ages frequent.” Haru turned to Ryuji with a mischievous smile on her face. “Of course, I didn’t think of that at all. I just thought that people would enjoy having a relaxing, comfortable environment to enjoy their new books in. But there’s no need to tell the board that.” Haru winked at Ryuji.

“So this place is bein’ run by your family’s company?”

“Not at all” Haru said. “I own Cafe Noir independently. I also inherited all of my father’s holdings of Okumura Foods’ stock, which gives me a controlling interest in the company.” Haru opened the back of the truck, revealing a ton of boxes and large objects covered in bubble wrap and tape. “I let the board handle Okumura Foods’ regular business. I have met with each individual member and found them to be trustworthy. Still, they have offered to support the cafe should I require it, so I would like to maintain a positive relationship with them, which includes me appearing to have a head for business.”

“But, like…” Ryuji wrapped his arms around a medium-sized box near the edge of the truck. “DO you know business stuff, or are you lyin’ to ‘em?” Ryuji pulled out the box. The contents shook around inside. He looked around the side and saw it was labelled “Cups 1”.

“To an extent” Haru said. She grabbed a box labelled “Cups 2” and lifted it from the truck. The two headed back inside. “I did pick up things here and there from my father over the years, and I tailored my college studies to focus on things that could help me run the cafe, including some business classes.”

“Wow, you really put a lotta thought into this, huh?” Ryuji and Haru placed their boxes on the counter.

“Of course! A venture like this requires thorough planning. If I didn’t know what I was doing, this cafe would be a failure.” Ryuji headed towards the door again, but stopped when he realized Haru wasn’t walking with him. He turned around to see her standing still, her eyes locked on the counter, her posture stiff.

“Haru? What’re you doin’?”

“You know, Ryuji-Kun…” Haru’s speech was unusually timid. Ryuji hadn’t heard her sound like this since her father’s murder. “Even if I do everything right, it’s still a possibility that this cafe will fail.”

“But you knew that before you started all this, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but… Now that this is all becoming real, that possibility is as well.”

“Hey, c’mon.” Ryuji leaned against the wall and put his hands in his pockets. “You ain’t even gotten started yet and you’re already worryin’ if you’re gonna fail? Get it together! This is your dream, ain’t it!? What good is freakin’ out gonna do you?” Ryuji walked over to Haru and gently elbowed her arm. “You’re Haru Okumura! You cut monsters in half with a smile! You fought God! You got more weapons than the yakuza! You’re too badass to fail!”

Haru’s nervousness gave way to laughter. Leave it to Ryuji to give such an unorthodox pep talk.

“You’re right, Ryuji-Kun.” Haru turned around and brought her hands together, cracking her knuckles. “There’s work to do. I can worry about the worst-case scenario if it ever comes along.”

“Which it won’t” Ryuji said.

“That’s correct. Let’s get back to work!”

Haru and Ryuji brought in the flatware and silverware next. Before moving more equipment into the shop, they started unpacking the boxes they’d already brought in, putting away plates, cups, and cutlery in cabinets and drawers.

“It’s like helpin’ somebody move" Ryuji said. “But if they had a family of like, a million people.”

“Well, I’d like to think that I’ll have many regular customers who I may become close to” Haru said as she shelved the last coffee cup. “In time, I could grow to have a very large extended cafe family indeed!”

“Growin’ your family, huh? That sounds nice.” Ryuji got uncharacteristically quiet as he stacked some plates, his face turning mopey.

“Ryuji-Kun, is something the matter?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.” Ryuji finished stacking plates and headed out the door. “Let’s get more stuff from the truck.”

Ryuji clammed up as they moved on to bringing in the actual coffee-brewing equipment. After about ten minutes of awkward silence, Haru managed to lighten up the mood by bringing in a speaker and plugging her phone into it, playing some upbeat jazzy music. She didn’t want to have a speaker system constantly playing pop music in the cafe, but she figured this would be acceptable for setting the mood when things were slow and it was just her and one or two customers. The music appeared to lift Ryuji’s spirits a bit, but he still seemed like he had a lot on his mind, and Haru wasn’t quite sure how to approach the situation. Haru had never known Ryuji Sakamoto to keep quiet about anything. If he really felt uncomfortable talking about whatever his problem was, Haru wondered if maybe she should just leave it alone.

* * *

It took a couple hours, but eventually the truck was fully unloaded. All of the cookware, coffee equipment, and even the furniture for the cafe was now inside and set up. Haru was just putting the last tablecloth over a booth when there was a knock at the open door. Haru and Ryuji both looked over to see a delivery man holding a large, flat, wide box. It looked big enough to hold a large flatscreen TV.

“Excuse me,” the man asked, “are you Haru Okumura?”

“I am” Haru said.

“Excellent.” The man stepped into the cafe and propped the box up against a wall, revealing a clipboard and pen, which he held out to Haru. “Sign here, please.”

“Of course.”

Ryuji stared at the box disinterestedly as Haru signed for the package. Once the delivery man left, Haru picked up the box and placed it on the counter, grabbing a knife to open it. She stared at the label.

“That's odd…” Haru tilted her head. “I don’t recall ordering anything from Okinawa.”

“You weren’t expectin' that?” Ryuji asked.

“I was not. Let’s see what it is!” Haru dug her knife under one of the package’s seams and opened it. The first thing she saw was a hand-written note, which she picked up and read out loud.

 

> _Dear Haru, _
> 
> _ It saddens me to know that I will be missing the grand opening of your cafe, but I am still answering the call of the sea. Every wave I see presents me with a thousand possible paintings as its shape changes constantly in its rise and fall from the greater body of water that is the ocean. It is nothing like painting a landscape. I have gazed upon the ocean for hours and hours, days at a time, but it is alive, an ever-changing thing, and among its infinite possible forms I have yet to find just the one I wish to immortalize on the canvas. I fear it may be quite some time before I can return to all of you in Tokyo. _
> 
> _ That said, my mind sometimes seems to find itself carried over the waves and back to home, and in those moments I miss you all dearly. One such moment was when I decided to take a break from the seaside and came across a field of Cosmos flowers in Kin Town. It immediately made me nostalgic for the quiet moments spent in your garden, both of us plying our trades. And so I felt it was my duty to capture the beauty of the scenery and share it with you. _
> 
> _ As you have undergone tutelage by Boss in his cafe where my mother’s Sayuri hangs, I felt it only appropriate that you should have a Kitagawa original for your own establishment. I am certain that it will be to your liking and feel right at home in your cafe. I hope that when we next meet, it will be sitting beneath this painting, and we will catch up on all that has happened in my absence and share a delicious meal together. _
> 
> _ Your Friend Always, _
> 
> _ Yusuke Kitagawa_

Haru lifted the framed painting out of the box and brought it to a booth, gently propping it against the wall. She stepped back and admired it, Ryuji sitting on a bar stool next to her. Warm smiles overcame both their faces as they observed their friend’s latest work.

Yusuke had created a field of Cosmos flowers, a seemingly-endless expanse of purple, pink, and white that went on forever into the horizon, the narrowest of blue skies visible above them. There were tiny hints of the green field from whence they sprouted here and there, but despite all the repeated colors, no two flowers ever seemed to blend together. Each of them — and there were easily hundreds — stood on its own. It was a breathtaking work, one that did indeed mesh perfectly with Haru’s design sensibilities.

“It stunning, isn’t it, Ryuji-Kun!?”

“Yeah! Yusuke really outdid himself this time!” Ryuji seemed like his old self for a moment, but then his smile weakened, all the joy leaving his eyes and voice. “Those are some awesome flowers. Totally rad.”

Haru silently walked out of the cafe, an angry look on her face. She made her way to the front of her truck at a brisk pace, grabbing a duffel bag from the front seat. She stormed back into the cafe and Ryuji stood up from his stool.

“Uh, Haru, what’s goin’-“

Haru silently held up her hand to Ryuji’s face, cutting him off. She pointed at the barstool Ryuji just rose from and he sat back down. She took her bag back into the kitchen and Ryuji could hear some sounds going on back there. He just sat confused for a few minutes, and when Haru came back, she had two cups of coffee on plates and was wearing a black apron with the Cafe Noir logo on it; a feathered hat just like she used to wear in the Metaverse. She placed one of the coffee cups on the counter, holding the other close to her chest.

“Here, Ryuji-Kun. Drink this.”

“Oh, uh, thanks, Haru.” Ryuji looked down at the cup in front of him. “But you know I don’t really drink coffee.”

“This is the first cup being served in Cafe Noir. I insist you drink it.”

“Damn it. Can’t refuse when you put it that way.” Ryuji slowly picked up the cup and lifted it to his mouth. He took a very slow sip and his eyes widened. “HOLY CRAP! Is there chocolate in this!?”

“That’s right. It’s called a ‘mocha’.” Haru smiled and took a sip of her own cup.

“Oh man, this is really good.” Ryuji took a normal sip, savoring it on his tongue for a moment before swallowing. “Does Ann know about this!? She’d go nuts for it!”

“I am certain that she does.” Haru put down her cup and leaned forward. Her face turned sad as she stared right into Ryuji’s eyes. “Now won’t you please tell me what’s been bothering you, Ryuji-Kun?”

“Whaddya mean?”

“You’ve been down in the dumps all day. We haven’t seen each other in six months and I was really looking forward to spending the day with you.” Haru leaned her elbows on the counter. “Is it because I’ve been so distant? Is that why you feel that you cannot open up to me anymore?”

“No! It ain’t nothin’ like that! It ain’t you, it’s just…” Ryuji sighed. “Everything’s gone to shit lately and I didn’t wanna bring anyone else down.”

“Is this about losing your job?”

“Nah. I mean, it didn’t help nothin’, but it’s more.” Ryuji took another sip of his mocha. “It’s like, everyone else I know is movin’ ahead and I’m stuck in the same place I was in high school. You got your cafe, Ren's workin’ for the governor of Tokyo, Ann ’n’ Yusuke’re travellin’…” Ryuji shook his head. “And, like, I’m happy for you guys. I ain’t jealous or hopin’ you’ll fail or anything. You all worked really hard to get where you are and you all deserve it. But I guess I just feel kinda left behind.”

“It’s perfectly alright if you’re still trying to find your way, Ryuji-Kun.” Haru stood up and looked down at him, smiling. “You’re only twenty-two years old. There’s no rule saying you have to know exactly what you want from life.”

“But I do know what I want!” Ryuji slumped back, staring at the ceiling. “I just can’t get it right now.”

“What is it?”

“It’s kinda embarassin’” Ryuji said, still staring at the ceiling. “You gotta promise not to laugh.”

“Why would I ever laugh?”

“I dunno. You girls have weird reactions to shit sometimes.” Ryuji craned his neck up, still slumped back, but looking at Haru. “Like the time after Shido’s Palace when you all beat me up for bein’ alive.”

“Firstly, you were mocking us for caring about you, so it wasn’t entirely undeserved.” Haru crossed her arms and huffed. “And we’ve all apologized for it many times over the years since then!”

“Alright, alright.” Ryuji grunted and sat up straight. “I wanna marry Hifumi.”

“RYUJI-KUN, THAT’S WONDERFUL!” Haru squealed and put her hands on the sides of Ryuji’s face. “Oh, there are so many preparations to consider, though! You’ll need a venue, and to pick a theme, and there’s the caterer-“

“Whoa, time out!” Ryuji pried Haru’s hands off of him, though it took some effort. It seemed that Haru hadn’t lost any of her strength over the past few years. “I didn’t say we’re gettin’ married! I ain’t even proposed to her yet or nothin’!” Ryuji crossed his arms and looked down at his cooling mocha. “It just ain’t the right time.”

“Why not?”

“‘Cuz you gotta have money to raise a family, and I don’t got none!” Ryuji slammed his fist down on the barstool next to him. “I just lost half my income which I’ve been usin’ to help my mom pay the bills! And I’d need to buy a ring, and like, yeah, Hifumi and I really like each other, but can we even get married if we don’t know what livin’ together’s like!? We’d have to get an apartment and see if we don’t drive each other nuts, and there’s no way I could pay two rents in Tokyo!”

“Oh, Ryuji-Kun, you don’t have to be worried about that kind of thing yet. So long as you and Hifumi-Chan are happy with your relationship, you have plenty of time to get yourself in a position where you’ll feel like you’re ready for that next step.”

“Yeah, but I wanna take that next step NOW. And I feel like Hifumi does too. We talk every day and try to see each other as much as we can, but life just ain’t that easy.”

“You should talk to her about it” Haru said. She didn’t actually know Hifumi that well, not like Ren, Makoto, and Ann had gotten to, but the few times that they had met Hifumi seemed like a very patient and understanding person. Which wasn’t a surprise. She’d have to be if she was dating Ryuji. “I’m certain if she knew how you felt, it would make her very happy.”

“Yeah, but then wouldn’t that be gettin’ her hopes up? ‘Cuz once I say it, I can’t unsay it, and then everything becomes waitin’ until the day we can finally do it. And that ain’t fair to her.” Ryuji pushed his coffee cup to the side and slumped forward, laying the side of his head on the counter. “It’s all such bullshit. I need money to live the life I want, but I need a good job to make money and I don’t got any skills people want. It makes me wanna punch stuff.”

“So why don’t you?” Haru asked.

“Huh?” Ryuji moved his eyes sideways to look up at Haru.

“You’re very good at fighting. Why don’t you do that for a living?”

“What, like a pro martial artist or somethin’?” Ryuji slowly lifted his head, sitting up straight again. “I ain’t got that kinda trainin’. Those tournaments have all sorts of rules, and I’m only good in a street fight.”

“There are ways to make money by fighting other than competitive sports” Haru said.

“Haru, you ain’t tellin’ me to join the yakuza, right?” Ryuji’s question was about half-earnest. Honestly, sometimes Haru just scared him.

“Certainly not.” Haru took Ryuji’s mocha away, seeing he was done with it. “From what Iwai-San has told me, you would be a terrible yakuza. They are very strict organizations. With how often you ‘run your mouth off’, as they say, you’d likely be murdered within a month of joining.”

“Gee, that’s comfortin’” Ryuji said with no small amount of sarcasm.

“I believe private security would be a good fit for you” Haru said.

“Like a mall cop?”

“More like a bodyguard. Thanks to my upbringing, I have been to many events where important men have private protection surrounding them at all times. All you have to do is be large, intimidating, and able to easily overpower any troublemakers. I believe you have all three of those qualifications.”

“A bodyguard, huh?” Ryuji looked out the window. By now it was late in the morning, and Book Town was starting to come to life. Many people were walking by the storefront, and every once in a while one would stop at the door for a moment, only to be deterred by a notice Haru had put up informing people Cafe Noir would not be open for a few more days. Ryuji looked back at Haru. “I dunno. Even if the pay’s good, I don’t wanna spend all my time around some rich asshole who thinks his money makes him better than everyone else, y’know?”

“There are plenty of honest and upright people who require such protection, Ryuji-Kun.”

“Yeah?” Ryuji scoffed. “Do you know any?”

“Not personally,” Haru pulled out her phone. “But I may know somebody who does.”

Haru had already called somebody before Ryuji could protest. After a moment, Ryuji could hear a voice coming from the other side of the phone, but he couldn’t make out any of the words they were saying. It seemed to be a man’s voice.

“Good day, Takakura-San” Haru said. “Yes, I’m at the cafe now! We’ve just finished setting everything up! Once my bean supply is ready, it will be time to open!”

The man on the other end of the phone sounded very excited.

“Actually, this is more than just a progress report. I wanted to ask you a favor.”

…

“No, it’s unrelated to the cafe. I have a friend looking for work and-“

…

“Oh no, he has no head for business. But he is very physically able and I believe he would be excellent in private security. Do you by chance know anybody who would be looking for a new bodyguard?”

…

“Qualifications? Well, he has no formal martial arts training, but he has years of fighting experience. He has been known to win fights against multiple opponents without a single scratch, and he’s quite physically imposing too.”

…

“Yes, I’ve seen him in action. He’s protected me from some rather beastly individuals on more than one occasion.” Haru winked at Ryuji. It wasn’t technically a lie. Ryuji had her back in many brawls against Shadows, saving her and the others from Shadows trying to sneak around while the team was distracted. Of course, the fact that she was an active participant in those fights was information she’d rather keep on a need-to-know basis.

…

“Oh, of course.” Haru tapped on her phone and turned to Ryuji, pointing to the door. “Would you please stand next to the door, Ryuji-Kun?”

“Uh, ok.” Ryuji got up and walked to the door, slouching with his hands in his pockets.

“Stand up straight, please. Oh! And do something mean with your face.”

“Like… this?” Ryuji stood as tall as he could and gave his old thuggish sneer. It felt awkward. His usual casual pose was really more suited for this kind of face.

“That’s perfect!” Haru took a picture of Ryuji and tapped her screen a few times, then started speaking on the phone again. “You should be receiving the photograph now.”

…

“Yes, we are very close friends indeed!”

…

“He was my junior in high school.”

…

“Actually, he’s a very fast runner. He used to be a track star.”

…

“You will? Oh, that’s wonderful! Thank you, Takakura-San!”

…

“And you have a lovely day as well!” Haru hung up the phone.

“So, what’d he say?” Ryuji walked back over to the counter.

“He says he has a friend who runs a private security firm. He’s going to call him and see about setting up an interview for you.”

“F’real!?” Ryuji stared wide-eyed at Haru. In that moment, she looked like an angel. He almost thought he saw two massive feathery wings grow out of her back, as poofy and fluffy as the hair on her head. After a couple years of exhausting, unrewarding odd jobs and feeling like he was spinning his wheels, there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, he still had to actually get the interview and then the job, and the job would probably be hard work, but anything was better than the minimum-wage toil he’d been doing since he dropped out of college. The future was full of possibility again, and he owed it all to the rich barista with the heart of gold standing right in front of him.

Ryuji didn’t bother saying “thank you”. Instead, he leapt over the counter and hugged Haru. She was more than happy to return it. This time, it didn’t feel awkward.

* * *

**Three days later:**

Cafe Noir had seen good traffic on its first day. Quite a few customers came in, and they all left satisfied, a lot of them telling Haru that they’d be back or tell their friends about the place. At the moment, Haru was attending to two VIPs at the counter.

Haru stared nervously as Iwai took his first sip of her coffee. Between the cup obscuring his mouth and the brim of his hat obscuring his eyes, she couldn’t make out any kind of reaction. He held the cup in front of his face, letting the coffee sit in his mouth for a moment, then swallowed.

“I gotta say, missy…” Iwai put down his cup, revealing a grinning mouth. He looked up at Haru with that usual cool expression in his eyes. “This is the best cup of joe I’ve ever had in my life. I still think ya woulda done good in the arms trade if ya wanted to, but this job really suits ya.”

“Thank you, Iwai-San.” Haru smiled at her grizzled friend. Although she only ever worked at Untouchable the one night, she did find herself a regular customer of the store, placing special orders for her weapon collection. The two had grown quite close, and Haru actually found some of his lessons about running a business more useful for planning her cafe than the business classes she’d taken in college. “It’s a shame Kaoru-Kun couldn’t join you, though.”

“Doncha worry, he’ll be by later.” Iwai gave that old mysterious chuckle of his. “I practically had to threaten him with a taser so he wouldn’t skip classes to come here, but ain’t nothin’ gonna keep him from makin’ a beeline for this place the second school’s out.”

“I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for him.” Haru turned to her other guest, her heart pounding away as he silently drank his coffee. She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, but she didn’t pay it any mind. This was the most important moment of her life, far more important than anything she ever did in the Phantom Thieves. Personal affairs could wait. This was the ultimate test.

The man Haru kept her eyes on didn’t give judgment after just one sip. Like Iwai, his face was impossible to read, his eyes obscured by the brim of his white fedora and his mouth an indecipherable straight line. He seemed to be taking his time, taking sips and gulps of various sizes, mulling over the quality of the drink with an intensity only a true expert could have when it came to something as commonplace as coffee.

“It’s perfect” Sojiro said, smiling at Haru proudly. “You’ve become the master barista I always hoped one of my kids would be.” Ren certainly made a good cup of coffee, but he’d never taken the time to fully master the craft, what with his other activities and life goals. And the one time Sojiro had tried teaching Futaba about coffee was the closest LeBlanc had come to ever burning down.

“Oh, Boss!” Haru’s eyes started to water. She reached over the counter to hug her mentor but he raised up a hand, stopping her.

“Hold up” Sojiro said sternly. “What’s rule number three?”

“Right!” Haru wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up straight like she was in the military “'A barista remains professional at all times when behind the counter!’” Iwai snickered at the girl's stiff posture. It didn't suit her, but it was damn entertaining to see.

“That’s right. Of course, it’s your shop, so at the end of the day, you get to make your own rules.” Sojiro stood up and walked to the end of the counter, where he stood expectantly. Haru walked out from behind the counter and Sojiro extended his hand. “Congratulations, Haru. You’ve got a great cafe here.”

Haru shook Sojiro’s hand, but couldn’t stop herself from taking the opportunity to give him a hug. Much like the rest of the Phantom Thieves, Sojiro had become like a second father to her, since all of their fathers were evil, dead, unknown entities, constantly absent, or some combination of the above. Following in her grandfather’s footsteps and opening her own cafe had felt like a pipe dream for most of Haru’s life, but thanks to Sojiro’s teachings she was able to make it a reality. Eventually, she broke off the hug and took Sojiro’s empty cup to the kitchen to put with the rest of the dirty dishes.

Haru’s phone kept buzzing while she walked. She decided that as long as she was in the privacy of the kitchen, she’d take a minute to check her messages, just in case somebody was trying to contact her about some kind of emergency. She opened her messenger app to see that the Phantom Thieves chatroom was very active.

 

> Ryuji: Guess who just quit his job!
> 
> Ann: You did WHAT!?
> 
> Futaba: How could you be so selfish!? ( ノ ° 益 °) ノ
> 
> Ryuji: Huh!? What are you guys talking about!?
> 
> Yusuke: Were you not supporting your mother? What will she do now?
> 
> Ryuji: I didn’t just quit workin’, guys! I got a better job! One that’s full-time with good pay and benefits and stuff!
> 
> Ann: Oh. Oops.
> 
> Futaba: Our bad. We just thought, you know… (⁄ ⁄>⁄  ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)
> 
> Makoto: Congratulations, Ryuji.
> 
> Ren: Way to go, man! What’s the job?
> 
> Haru: Did you get the bodyguard position, Ryuji-Kun!?
> 
> Ryuji: Yup!
> 
> Yusuke: Bodyguard!? My goodness!
> 
> Ann: Wow! That’s perfect for you, Ryuji! How’d that happen?
> 
> Ryuji: Haru helped me out. Made some calls.
> 
> Futaba: Wow. The power of the Okumura fortune knows no limits, huh? (;;;*_*)
> 
> Makoto: I hope you will stay safe.
> 
> Ryuji: It’ll be no sweat. My first assignment’s to supervise some paranoid CEO’s wife.
> 
> Ryuji: She’s some kinda beauty queen and the guy’s afraid somebody’s gonna try and make a move on her. I’m there to scare people away.
> 
> Ren: Morgana wants to know if Hifumi knows about this “beauty queen”.
> 
> Futaba: And thus, Ryuji Sakamoto falls victim to the clutches of infidelity!  ヽ (° 〇 °) ﾉ
> 
> Ryuji: Knock it off! Of course she knows! I told her before I told any of you guys.
> 
> Ryuji: I’m doin’ this all for her, y’know!
> 
> Haru: That’s right! I’m sure you’ll be able to buy that ring any day now, Ryuji-Kun!
> 
> Ann: WAIT, WHAT!?
> 
> Ren: Time out. You don’t mean…
> 
> Makoto: That’s quite rash, isn’t it? You should at least see if the job works out first, Ryuji.
> 
> Yusuke: Oh, how splendid! Please, in lieu of hiring a wedding photographer, allow me to create a series of portraits commemorating the blessed day!
> 
> Ryuji: Damn it, Haru! Why’d you have to say that in here!?
> 
> Futaba: SO IT’S TRUE!? (° ロ °) !
> 
> Ren: Morgana would also like to express his disbelief.

Haru put away her phone, which kept buzzing in her pocket. As much as she wanted to participate in this conversation further, it simply wasn’t the time.

After all, she had a cafe to run.

**Author's Note:**

> I had the first third of this written before I came up with the idea for "The Evil Queen" and decided to write everything and drop that instead. And I'm not abandoning that story, but after ten chapters, I wanted to take a break and return to something a bit more similar to my other works. I'm gonna get back to that story soon, but I just wanted to wrap this one up now.
> 
> Update: This fic's been changed to use Joker's canon name.


End file.
